Def Leppard’s Phil Collen Making the Most of the Death of the LP

The LP is becoming such an antiquated term that it seems unlikely most music lovers born after 1990 will know what the letters stand for soon. Def Leppard's Phil Collen says most people don't want to buy a full "long playing" album any longer, and he's enjoying what that means.

"Sometimes you can have songs on the LP that get watered down because you put more effort into other ones," Collen says in an interview with Guitar International. "I do like being able to release two or three songs with more substance to them."

Collen said he's currently working on a new Manraze CD, but guitarist Vivian Campbell recently said the group would be working on new music for their band between shows at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Their residency begins March 22 and ends April 13. Collen -- who says he's always fiddling with his guitar, even on the toilet -- seems to be indicating any new music would go toward something smaller than a full album. Their last project of new material was 'Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008).'

"The truth is that (fans) just want to download one or two of their favorite songs," he says. "I like LPs and all that stuff, but this is the new reality."

The Las Vegas residency will find Def Leppard playing their Diamond-certified 1987 album 'Hysteria' in its entirety, as well as favorites from their other eight studio albums since 1980. The run of dates is unlikely to lead to a summer tour, Collen says, unless they get the right offer.

"Maybe something like what we are going to do in Vegas in another part of the country. Maybe something more along those lines."